Ruffian

More annoying to me than the horse racing inaccuracies were the portrayals of journalists who covered Ruffian. This was 1975 -- not 1935. Snap-brim hats with "Press" cards stuck in them were long gone by the 1970s. And the newsroom at Newsday, Nack's employer, was a joke. The place looks like it's a weekly, with perhaps five people working in it, rather than a major paper with a circulation of several hundred thousand and hundreds of reporters and editors. And there's always only one editor around. Moreover, Nack's desk, which for some crazy reason has an adding machine on it, is nearly empty and spotless -- which could never happen. And he has a 1950s vintage manual typewriter. Even in 1975, most big newspapers had electric typewriters.

Getting the little stuff right always helps to make the big picture better.

I realize the horse who played Ruffian probably doesn't look like her and that Claiborne Farms is a very upscale operation. To me, however, the story is about heart, both in humans and horses, and how that binds them together and makes them great. In my opinion, Sam Shepard did a great job as Frank Whitely. I don't know enough about horse racing to pick out all the little factual flaws but to me this is a really inspiring story. The scenes are beautiful. It also captures the feel of the 1970s, at least as I remember them. The scenes where Ruffian broke down are really tragic, and it was also sad to see her in the hospital trying to recover. I liked the supporting cast quite a lot, too. To the limited extent I've been around horses, they seemed like horse people and the kind of folks who really love horses. I would recommend this movie to anyone.

I'm a full time trainer, horseman on the Mid-Atlantic circuit, in my off time I see five movies a week. Rarely am I treated to as an enthralling story about my first love as this.

From the timing, and character development there's an honesty about Ruffian, her handlers and their story. The horses used were beautiful, the racing scenes surprisingly realistic, and the camera shots were magnificent. This one ranks slightly below my all time favorite Caseys Shadow and above Seabiscuit, with solid high paced interest toward the eventual tears. Quite a feat for TV. The strength of the movie was the writing, the directing and cast all displaying superior theatrics. Given the budget restraints for a TV movie, I accepted the difference in the substitution of era vans for trailers, and other difficult to substitute prop switches. There were many more strengths in the production than weaknesses.

The ending is done well, with dignity, gently lifting the viewer into a better place,for all that had happened.I especially like the post log and what happened to the characters later in life. All in all, a wonderful two hours of entertainment.

The story of the beloved and magnificent Racehorse Philly, Ruffian, is brought to life in this sweet and sentimental portrait. Ruffian's great speed and talents are revealed during her training period, her victories, her Filly Triple Crown Victory and up to her match-up race against Kentucky Derby winner, Foolish Pleasure. What I like about this Made for Cable Movie is that you don't have to be a Horse Race enthusiast to enjoy it. Although, it does help. Sam Shepard, as Frank Whitely, the experienced and no-nonsense trainer is great in his realistic approach to the character. When noticing a young and speedy Ruffian run on the track for the first time, he demures, "I'm not sure about her for racing." Racing or not, I love that horse, says an assistant." "Never fall in love with a horse", retorts Frank. He's an old school pro who understands how to survive in the business. But evidently, he does fall in love with his gorgeous filly. An outcome he doesn't want to admit.

Frank Whaley, the reporter covering the racing scene at this time, serves as the narrator to the story. They show a sort of lukewarm, but prickly professional relationship. I like the old school macho barbs Whitely banters with his jockey and assistant trainers. They respect each other but refuse to get too friendly. Horse-racing is a tough business that requires nerves of steel.

This era of horse racing also took place when the male/female battle of the sexes was a new media craze. This theme blends in with this story without going overboard. You will also hear the likes of old time champions and jockeys such as Secretariat, Damascus, Dr. Fager, SWAPS, Eddie Arcaro and Willie Shoemaker which is reminiscent of great racing memories for fanatics.

Ruffian is a story of both tragedy and triumph of how one of the world's most beloved pastimes reminds us of why we love the horses and the tradition.

Movies hardly ever get horse racing right. Seabiscuit was the closest approach I have seen, but even that movie had problems. Ruffian is loaded with problems.

WHY WHY WHY do movies with racing invariably confabulate odd little human subplots that anyone with any knowledge of the sport knows are pure hokum? I do KNOW the sport, having raised, handled, and raced my own horses, and having written about the sport professionally. The actual history of Ruffian was compelling enough without the make-believe elements of this movie.

The horses used to portray the title character were some of the coarsest, plainest beasts imaginable. Ruffian--the real one--was a tall, nearly 17 hand filly, quite leggy and graceful. With all the cast-off TBs available for purchase on a per-pound meat price basis, couldn't at least one been found for close shots that did not look like a chunky pony???

I am sure that many people in racing would have cheerfully advised the movie's makers on details, gratis, just to be sure things were not gotten laughably wrong. The notion that Claiborne Farm, in the 1970s, shipped horses in a rusty beige trailer with "CF" on the side is silly. Claiborne was and is one of the last remaining family, multi-generational outfits, and has been involved not just with foaling and raising good horses, but in shaping and influencing the breed globally. It is not a marginal operation without presence or reputation. Go to the farm, and note that the gates, the (very large) water tower, the trim on the main stallion barn--are all painted Cadmium Yellow, the farm colors. Rusty beige trailers? Pulled by aged pickup trucks? I think not.

This was a FICTIONAL movie appropriating the name of a real filly, and beyond that, not much more. It was never really explained why Ruffian was extraordinary--the movie makers seemed confused between stakes record time and track record time--or that she had an average winning margin of 7 lengths after 10 races, or that there has never been anything like her since, and in what seems a glaring omission, there was no hint of all the advances in caring for catastrophic breakdowns since 1975. Foolish Pleasure's reputation was inflated beyond what it was at the time--he was a good 3-y-o, but not a great one, and he finished his days in obscurity, pasture-breeding mares somewhere out west.

No wonder Frank Whiteley and Jacinto Vasquez sought to legally block the airing of this movie without adequate disclaimers.